Tool for connecting up electric fuses.



No. 887,644. C PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

F. M. JACOBS.

TOOL FOR CONNECTING UP ELECTRIC FUSES. APPLIOATION FILED SBPT.14, 1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK M. JACOBS, OF WAYNESBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO lt OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM G.

THEURER, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

TOOL FOR CONNECTING UPiELECTRIC FUSES.

Application filed September 14, 1907.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK M. JACOBS, a resident of Vaynesburg, in the county of Greene and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tools for Connecting up Electric Fuses, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tool designed primarily for connecting up fuses in telephone and other electric lines, and the primary object is to provide a tool which may with one setting thereof be caused to turn the fuse bodily for screwing one end thereof into the fuse rack, and then turn up the nut which clamps the spring contact to the other end of thefuse.

The invention consists of a handle-like body having a screw-driver blade within or surrounded by a wrench socket, with one of said parts-preferably the wrench socketheld normally proj eeted by a spring beyond the blade, so that when forward pressure is applied to the body the blade will be projected into engagement with a vslot in the threaded .shank of the fuse, whereupon the fuse may be turned bodily and its opposite end screwed into the fuse rack. And when this has been accomplished, the Aforward pressure may be relaxed, thus reti-acting the blade out of engagement with the 'fuse shank but leaving the wrench socket embracing the nut which clamps the spring contact, the nut being then turned up without turning the fuse.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View of a portion of a fuse rack showing fuses attached thereto, such for instance as those used for conductors of telephone lines, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the fuses, with the improved device applied thereto and pressed inward for engaging the screw-driver therewith. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the blade retracted but' with the wrench or socket head embracing the contact nut. Fig. 5 is a further detail, showing the wrench locked in retracted position, with the blade held projected from the socket for use as an ordinary screw-driver. Figs. 6 and 7 are end views of the tool.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates a tubular inclosing casing, formed preferably of fiber and secured therein is the cylindrical Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Serial No. 392,938.

body 3 of the tool. The body is reduced in diameter at shoulder 4 to form stem 5 which carries blade G, similar to the blade of a screw driver. Movable longitudinally within casing 2 and over stem 5 is thc tubular shank 7, carrying at its outer end the wrench head or socket 8. Shank 7 is slotted longitudinally at 9 to embrace the ends of pins 1() projecting from stem 5 with a coiled spring 11 confined on the stem between shoulder 4 and the inner end of the tubular shank for holding the latter and the wrench socket normally projected.

In operation, the tool is applied to the fuse and pressed inward as shown in Fig. 3, thus retracting the wrench socket against the pressure of the spring and projecting the blade G into the usual transverse slot A in the threaded tubular extremity B of fuse C, so that the fuse may be turned bodily and its opposite threaded extremity D screwed into fuse rack E. After this has been accomplished, the tool is relieved of inward pressure, whereupon the blade 6 is retracted out of engagement with slot A, as in Fig. 4, and upon rotating the tool the wrench socket turns up nut B and clamps the spring contact F.

The outer end of body 8 may be conveniently formed into the Wrench socket 12 which is open at the rear end of the tool for such use as it may be put. of slots 9 are formed with offsets 9', so that with shank 7 and wrench socket 8 forced inward they may be turned laterally and pin 10 engaged with the slot offsets, thus locking the socket into retracted position, with blade 6 projected for use as a screw driver alone.

It is well known that in fuse racks arranged for a large number of conductors, particularly those used for telephone lines, the space is contracted and there is comparatively little room for the manipulation necessary in placing and removing flues. With one application of the tool here shown to the end of the fuse, the fuse itself is mounted and the spring contact clamped thereto. Furthermore, with a tool of this character it is unnecessary to apply pliers to the contact clamping nut, thereby greatly reducing the danger of injuring the tubular extremity of the fuse to which the fuse wire is connected, as is well known The outer ends l While the tool is designed primarily for mounting and manipulating fuses as herein described, its use is not restricted thereto.

l claim l. A tool of the character described consisting of a body member of reduced diameter for aportion of its length, a screw-driver blade projecting from such reduced end, a tubular outer easing having its bore of the same diameter as the unredueedportion of the body member, the body being secured within said casing with the screw-driver end thereof projecting beyond the casing and with a space between the casing and the reduced portion o1" the body, a tubular member movable longitudinally on the reduced portion of the body within said space, a spring for holding the tubular member normally projected with its outer end extending beyond the screw-driver blade, and a wrench socket carried by the outer end of the tubular member.

2. A tool of the character described consisting of a body member reduced in diameter for a portion of its length to form a shoul der, a tubular casing having a bore of uniform diameter from end to end and corresponding to the diameter of the unreduced portion of the body, the body being secured within the casing with its reduced end projecting therefrom and with a space between the reduced portion of the body and the inner face of the casing, a screw-driver blade projecting from the reduced end of the body, a tubular member closely fitting and slidable within said space over the reduced portionof the body, a coiled spring interposed between the body shoulder' and the inner extremity of the tubular member, and a wrench socket carried by the outer end of the tubular member.

ln testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence oi two witnesses. FRANK M. JACBS.

Witnesses RICHARD G. MILLER, MiNNrn A. LEONARD. 

